Letter: School Board spending out of control

On the morning of March 27, the Augusta County budget was balanced, without a tax increase. It included a 2 percent pay raise for county employees. But at 1 p.m., the School Board presented its budget to the Board of Supervisors calling for $2.5 million in spending over their proposed budget. The over-budget portion included money for teachers' pay raises and health insurance for part-time employees, including school bus drivers and cafeteria workers. Why did the School Board decide these needs should be in the over-budget portion? Did they care so little for these people, that they were an afterthought and put in the over-budget addendum as opposed to being included in the all-important balanced portion of the budget?

Or, does the School Board prefer to play games with the Board of Supervisors and thus the tax payer, at the expense of the teachers and others? The School Board has demonstrated a lack of care of its own people in favor of irresponsible spending in these times of overwhelming federal deficit spending and a state transportation bill that increases the tax burden on citizens.

The four Republican supervisors are more than willing to raise real estate taxes to accommodate the School Board's over-budget spending. They do not want to take a responsible look at the school budget and ask what, if anything, can be removed so that pay raises and health insurance can be provided without raising property taxes. The School Board's budget has an amazing lack of detail and based on what it presented to the supervisors, it appears they do not want to provide the details.

Obviously, this is not about "the children." If it were, then we would not currently be spending approximately $10,800 per child each year and asking for even more because of the School Board's spending habits. It is about the insatiable spending habits of a group of adults. They cloak themselves in the guilt they can inflict on the taxpayer. We want our children to have the best education available, but the School Board needs to be held accountable for their out of control spending.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Letter: School Board spending out of control

On the morning of March 27, the Augusta County budget was balanced, without a tax increase. It included a 2 percent pay raise for county employees.